Annual Report 2014

Alyth North Western Reform Synaoue Alyth Gardens London NW11 7EN

Partner Communities 020 8455 6763 Leo Baeck Education Centre, Haifa, Israel [email protected].uk Kerch Jewish Community, Crimea www.alyth.or.uk Reistered Charity No. 247081

Chairman’s Report Lookin back on my first year as Chairman of Alyth, I feel privileed and proud to be leadin our vibrant community. The scope of activities and enaement of so many of our members every week in the life of the community is truly amazin. We estimate that around 800 members enae on a weekly basis. We welcome each and every person who comes to Alyth for prayer, music, education, social activities, meetins and events. We also welcome many visitors to Alyth and ensure that they too enjoy our hospitality and warmth.

In January 2014 Cantor Cheryl joined the Clery Team and Cindy Summers joined us as head of our Kinderarten. We are delihted that both Cantor Cheryl and Cindy have settled into their respective roles and are very much a part of the Alyth family. Our Clery team is an interal part of all that we do at Alyth. Their focus on the work that they do and on ensurin members are welcomed, listened to and supported, is inspirin. They lead not only within the community but outside as well, servin as trustees, overnors and activists across a broad rane of oranisations. Thank you, Mark, Josh and Cheryl for your dedication and commitment to us all.

Our professional and sta9 teams continue to support the work that is bein done. In his role as Community Director, Adam has beun to streamline our operations and ensure that the administrative and caretakin support in the runnin of the synaoue is of the hihest quality. Our much loved, (now headin toward retirement) Director of Music, Viv, has continued to be at the heart of music and drama at Alyth whilst at the same time partnerin with Cantor Cheryl as she has become so much a part of the community. Lynette has embraced her role as Welfare and Life Cycle Director and is constantly findin ways to deepen the way we care for everyone in the community, especially those in need and who are vulnerable.

The Galim team has been hard at work all year, delivery outstandin prorammes on Sunday mornins, Friday nihts (Ruach) and across the rane of youth and education activities that happen throuhout the year. With the chanin landscape in education and more and more children attendin Jewish Day Schools, we are constantly lookin at how best to meet the diverse needs of our youn children and teens.

Thank you to all the professionals and members of the sta9 team who work tirelessly to ensure that Alyth is an excitin, busy and welcomin community. I am rateful to the members of Executive and Council who enae with all that we do and are an invaluable source of support to the honorary oAcers and myself. The discussion and debate around the table is always respectful and informed and continues to ensure that we follow a path that has Alyth at its very heart.

The annual review is an opportunity for us to look back at the year, celebrate our wonderful community and share some key facts about Alyth. The new layout of this Annual Review is based on the desin of our excitin new website. Please do click on www.alyth.or.uk and explore the website. We have also taken the opportunity to shorten the reports from the many committees, roups and clubs that are active in Alyth and hope that this ives you a flavour of what it takes to make Alyth the wonderful and enain community that we are.

2015 is well underway and already we have much to do and much to look forward to. As we reflect on the year that has past and look forward to the comin months and years, I feel blessed that our community is stron and safe and hope that you will all join me in buildin a community that is more inspired and enaed than ever before.

President’s Report It seems unbelievable that this is my last Presidents report. Can anyone remember 2009? It seems aeons ao. Actually only 6 years and the year Robbie Jackman, Chairman at the time, asked if I would accept the role of President. I was shocked, amazed, speechless and also very honoured, to be considered as worthy to head this dynamic community.

However, after Robbie picked me up from the floor, I was left with the problem of not knowin what a President actually does. I consulted my wonderful predecessor Je9ery, who ave me a few pointers, but ended by tellin me "everyone does it their own way". So that's what I've done. I made up my own brief; To be less involved with day to day a9airs, but around in case there was some sort of disareement or dispute that needed an outside view. To hold the history of Alyth, as far as possible. To be available as a calm slihtly detached person. To be one of the friendly, carin concerned faces of Alyth and to be an ambassador for Alyth and for the wider Reform movement.

To try to sum up all the achievements and chanes of the last six years would take too lon but I would like to hihliht one or two. Perhaps the biest chane has been finishin our sanctuary, the Bimah, the Ark doors and now the wonderfully lit Halter windows. I won't mention the one small issue still outstandin!

It is now well established that we are a conreation of many voices, of many Minyanim caterin for di9erin views. We have assembled an amazin stable of Professional sta9, a stron creative Clery team and now education, youth and clerical teams to be proud of. We have a council of youn and dynamic lay-leaders and with the launch of the refreshed rebrandin, Alyth can continue to show the world it’s modern forward lookin face.

As President I have tried and hopefully added, to the friendly, welcomin, carin atmosphere of Alyth. I have been very proud to hold the post and to watch the community row. I have been iven so much love and respect it has been very humblin for me. So, thouh I miht be retirin, I know that in your new President, Peter Backman, the role is in very safe hands. Pray with us “We believe that prayer is central to a meanin#ful Jewish life. We aim to create opportunities for worship that are intellectually rich, #rounded in Jewish tradition and inspirin# for all.” In 2014 we continued the proramme of development of our Shabbat Services as we seek to respond to the diverse needs of the Alyth community.

Our Erev Shabbat service is now one of the most well-attended and inspirin services in UK synaoue life. Over the year we continued to develop the service, thinkin about how to use di9erent chair layouts, and the role of our Children’s Choir and Youth Siners, alonside the clery team.

On Shabbat mornin, our classical service , as every year, hosted B’nei Mitzvah, pre-weddin blessins, birthdays and anniversaries, as well as supportin those experiencin a bereavement and markin a Yarzheit. It continues to o9er a hih-quality service, with accompaniment from our wonderful volunteer choir, and sermons from our clery and uest preachers.

Kollot has continued to become embedded in the life of the community, and is now the primary prayer space for a lare number of our members, who also have the opportunity to read Torah and deliver a Dvar Torah. We are rateful to Justin Wise, who reularly leads the service with the clery, and to John and Peter for their role as shamashim. Gratitude, too, to the Bi# Ban# musicians, who continue to inspire and entertain in this very special monthly service.

Innovation in tefillah remains one of Alyth’s reatest features. In 2014, our Tefillah Lab included Shira u’Shtikah, Terrifyin Tefillah, Supertots, Healin services and a Cheshbon HaNefesh service for Ellul. 2014 also saw the first of our Third Space services for Youn Adults, run in conjunction with FRS.

Finally, a word for our wonderful, lay-led Sunday Shacharit service, which meets every Sunday for tefillah, followed by baels and warm company.

Our services do not run with clery alone. We are rateful for the support of all who help to make our services work, and especially our choir, lay-readers and wardens . In 2014 the warden team expanded into a much larer roup, trained and supported by Michael, Nicola and Selina, who have our ratitude for all their e9orts.

Learn with us We believe that Jewish learnin# is central to a meanin#ful Jewish life. We aim to create opportunities for study that are intellectually rich, #rounded in Jewish tradition and inspirin# for all – both accessible, #rown-up Jewish learnin#, and learnin# that nurtures and challen#es our youn# people.

Jewish learnin is at the heart of communal Alyth life every year, and 2014 was no di9erent.

Our reular learnin prorammes continued to o9er accessible, intellectually challenin learnin for our diverse conreation - those comin new to Judaism, those for whom learnin is central to their lives, and for those oin throuh the life-cycle . These include our weekly Gateway and Talmud classes, special Ruach Parents sessions parallel with our Bar/Bat Mitzvah proramme, our Marria#e course and Rosh Chodesh roup.

Other hihlihts of the year included: Shabbat Shiurim : 25 di9erent shiurim before the Shabbat mornin service over the year, includin text study on Midrash, Bible and Talmud; theoloical discussion; sessions on subjects as diverse as Women in Judaism and Christianity; the Orthodox litury and Ours; Jews of the Caribbean; and Jewish Chaplains in the German Army in WW1.

Learnin# for the Jewish Calendar : Special community learnin prorammes for Ellul and the Hih Holy Days, and Preparin for Pesach.

One-o, learnin# sessions includin#: hih-level Jewish study (such as an evenin on Rabbi Ishmael’s 13 Hermeneutical Principles and What is the Talmud and why does it matter?), Israel based learnin, Interfaith learnin, sessions on Jewish ethics and more.

Trips to the National Gallery and British Museum

A wonderful Scholar-in-Residence proramme, in which we welcomed one of the world’s foremost scholars, the Jewish feminist theoloian Rabbi Professor Rachel Adler. Learn with us - Youth & Education

Galim is the Education and Youth Department of the syna#o#ue.

Galim provides a learnin# and Jewish en#a#ement pro#rammes for a#es 4 – 18, led by a dedicated and ambitious team of educators.

To#ether we celebrate the festivals with art and crafts, sin#in#, storytellin# and other activities.

Our desire is for our children to love comin# to learn at Alyth and for them to benefit from the knowled#e and skills they acquire and to inspire a journey of learnin# and livin# for each of them.

Kef Zone is our Wednesday Club that was developed in September 2014. It acts as an umbrella brand for clubs run by the Galim department, Upbeat Drama run by Jane Gordon, Children’s Choir run by Cantor Cheryl and Alyth’s Children’s Theatre.

For every festival, the department ran a Festival Tea for under 7s and their families to celebrate, come toether and partake in festival themed activities. The teas last an hour and are usually very well attended with a rane of 10-15 families.

Sprin# Days ran durin the Pesach holidays for 34 children in Reception—Year 5. The week consists of Pesach themed activities desined, created and led by madrichim who are trained in house at Alyth as well as opt in activities includin football, drama, desinin your own puppet show, circus skills, story tellin, Pesach ames and sinin sons.

Summer Days runs the week before Summer Madness and helps create the most thrivin month of the year for the department. The activities and the layout of the week is run in a very similar manner to Sprin Days to create the ‘Days packae’ includin similar activities and includin oriinal madrichim led prorammes.

Sukkot Sleepout alon with Summer Madness is one of the lon standin events in Alyth youth’s history. Sukkot Sleepout provides children with the opportunity to experience and empathise with the homeless and what it is like to sleep outside while raisin money for Homeless Action in Barnet.

Summer Madness is the hihliht of the department’s summer. It has been runnin for 23 years and is always a popular residential trip. With chanichim and madrichim combined, approximately 50 youn Alyth members attend Summer Madness and spend 5 days toether in Northampton in Auust. Durin the week we partake in many activities includin: site led activities and peulot that madrichim have written and planned, drama, arts and crafts, raft buildin, wide ames, movie nihts and much more.

Ruach residentials are an interal part of the B’nei Mitzvah process. The main aim of these residentials is social bondin and as you can see from the numbers, they are always well attended and very successful. With thanks to JJBS whose rant made it possible. Year 6: 28 attendees in March Year 7: 33 attendees in November Year 8 : 20 attendees in October (international)

The Hadracha Course runs in Year 9 and 10 – 5 sessions in year 9 and 10 sessions in year 10. In 2014 there were 9 participants on the Year 10 course and 13 on the Year 9 course. The department is developin an advanced hadracha course for those in Year 12 and 13.

Sunday Mornin# Galim is a nourishin space for youn people to build, develop and explore their Jewish identity. Learnin is achieved throuh dynamic, multi-sensory classroom experiences where both the buildin of knowlede and a solid peer roup are equally valued.

There are 134 students enrolled on this provision ranin from 4-12 years of ae. The proramme is sta9ed by 6 teachers with David-Yehuda Stern. Teachers are supported by a team of approximately 25 trained madrichim. Attendance has been stron throuhout the year and we have seen increased parent enaement thanks in part to initiatives such as the re-launched Galim Parents Group.

This year students have explored a rane of topics and in doin so enaed in many unique experiences includin: buildin their own Chanukiah, Mezuzah and Tallitot makin and takin part in professional-led Israeli dance classes. In addition to our reular Jewish Studies and Hebrew sessions, students have also enjoyed some reat festival themed mornins, and we reularly have members of the Clery come in and run assemblies for the students.

We require all sta9 to hold a valid DBS and to attend reular trainin prorammes durin the course of the year. They receive reular feedback and are supported by the professional Galim Team. For the second year runnin we brouht in a roup of professional educators from our community to observe, support and provide feedback to each of our teachers. This space provides sta9 the opportunity to discuss successes and challenes with an experienced education professional and for us to observe and develop best class practice

There are approximately 82 members enrolled on the Ruach , our Bar & Bat Mitzvah proramme. The proramme is sta9ed by David-Yehuda Stern, Alice Goldsmith and Sophie Lansford with support from 6 trained madrichim and 20 B’nei Mitzvah mentors.

The topics covered on a Friday evenin are Social Justice and Ethics, Prayer and Shabbat and The Jewish Journey . Our sessions have been joined by uest educators such as Ben Salamon (Tzedek’s Education Proramme Coordinator) and Dalia Lyons from the Artisan Tallit Co.

We continue to run Ruach Parents Sessions, which are led by the Clery and are aimed at parents whose children attend the Friday niht proramme. The sessions are desined to help support and build parent’s Jewish knowlede and confidence durin the B’nei Mitzvah experience.

We currently have very stron attendance at the Friday Niht Service from both students and parents. Approximately 85% of students attendin the Friday evenin proramme attend the service each week.

Learn with us - Early Years

Alyth Kinder#arten

Under the leadership of Cindy Summer, the Alyth Kinderarten is now very much part of the synaoue community and works far more closely with the clery and the Galim team. The creation of Supertots, held once a term, strenthens ties with the community and is led by Rabbi Mark, Tor Alter and Cindy Summer.

Keepin parents involved in the learnin of their children is very important to us and we do this by havin a Parent Forum which meets once per half-term and a weekly newsletter which is presented in a new style alon with a personal email written by Cindy. This has resulted in happy parents and Cindy's ‘open door’ policy has increased the positive relationships with parents.

We have taken on two work placement students with special needs. This tanible inclusion is very important for both sta9 and also for the children to see.

The structures of the Kinderarten have also chaned. The school year has been increased from 34 to 36 weeks, more in line with other schools. A new teachin structure empowers the Teacher Team Leader to take full control and responsibility for their children, their parents and the classroom. Lon Days lessons are now themed, with a Teacher Team Leader, makin the proramme more attractive. This has resulted in numbers of attendees increasin to 36. More flexible afternoon sessions mean parents can choose from 1 to 3 days (non-consecutive).

Shofar Daycare Nursery

Over the past year we have been involved in the creation of a dynamic, new, Jewish Daycare Nursery for babies and children aed six months to five years old in Finchley.

Shofar is an inspirin collaboration between Alyth and Finchley Reform Synaoue (FRS). The aim is to build a daycare nursery that provides families with the hihest quality daycare in a creative, carin, stimulatin, Reform Jewish environment.

The new, purpose desined space at the Sternber Center in N3 will be filled with fantastic activities and resources to allow children to row and develop both indoors and out.

Shofar is due to open in late Autumn 2015. Be with us - Syna#o#ue Groups We believe that nothin# is more important in the life of a Jewish community than the relationships that we build and the welcome that we can #ive to one another.

Prayer and learnin# are a central part of Jewish life, but they are not enou#h. To be a community is to share a wider ran#e of interests and activities with one another – to be a #enuine Jewish community centre.

There are many roups and clubs that meet reularly at Alyth (and sometimes outside):

Thursday afternoon Brid#e is flourishin. We have a core of reular attendees who come with a smile whatever the weather! Our players are able to come without a prior commitment or a partner. As a by product of these afternoons, oranised by Sheila and Michael Anel we have raised nearly £8,000 for synaoue funds.

The Cyclin# Community , oranised by Laurence Mendoza, continues to provide friendship and exercise for Alyth members spannin our community in ae and ability with their monthly rides (and more reular rides in the summer).

Our new Co,ee House Poetry roup of 20 members meets every other month to share and discuss poetry.

The Alyth Ramblers have been on six day rambles in the Chilterns and Hertfordshire area throuhout the year. They have also rambled for loner periods at their weekend away in Shropshire in July and a week in Israel in the Galilee in May.

The Alyth Senior Club , oranised by a team of volunteers, is our 60s plus club for members of the synaoue or parents of synaoue members with approximately 25-30 members attendin the Monday afternoon meetins. The proramme (speakers, music, current a9airs discussion, quizzes etc.) starts at 14:00 and lasts for just under an hour, followed by an excellent tea prepared by Synaoue members. Several outins are oranised every year. In July the club visited the Green Draon Pub in London Colney for a Pub Lunch; in Auust Afternoon Tea was enjoyed at the West Lode Park Hotel and in March this year the club attended a musical show at the Wyllyotts Theatre in Potters Bar.

Mothers, fathers, randparents, carers and toddlers have enjoyed playin with toys and havin a sin-a-lon on Monday mornins at our Toddler Group .

Alyth is now o9erin five Yo#a classes a week; three eneral classes, one prenancy class and one mellow yoa class, all tauht by experienced yoa teacher Maxine Levy. Rabbi Mark and Maxine have created Kavannah Yo#a to explore fresh ways of cultivatin a personal spiritual practice. Rabbi Mark reads from selected Jewish texts and Maxine interweaves this with traditional yoa postures, movement, breathin and meditation techniques. These sessions have been run at Alyth, JW3 and at Limmud. Yoa has also been added to the Sunday Mornin Galim curriculum to help explore Shabbat mornin prayer.

Be with us - Tekiyah Fundraisin# Events

As part of the Alyth 80 celebrations the Alyth 80 Comedy Ni#ht, compered by Bennett Arron, featured comedians Lee Nelson, Mark Maier and Francine Lewis. 150 attended a hilarious evenin raisin £1,000.

The Alyth 80 Cookbook Launch ave members a chance to see ‘A Life in Food’, our cookbook. The launch included a chocolate demonstration by celebrity chef and chocolatier David Mendes and rand birthday bake o9. Guests were treated to a supper of dishes cooked from recipes included in the cookbook. Competitors were asked to bake an Alyth birthday cake and uests were able to sample all the entries. The overall winner was Valentina Vukadonovic. Cookbooks are still available for purchasin.

Our Annual Quiz Supper was held in November. This popular event attracted 254 uests who enjoyed a fish and chip supper and seven hilarious rounds of questions. The event included an auction and a raUe which raised £9,000. Be with us - Music and Drama Music and drama is at the heart of Alyth. Ours is a community that sin#s to#ether with the music of our diverse services, and the joyful sin#in# of youn# and old. Under the #uidance of our Director of Music of over 30 years, Viv Bellos MBE, Alyth has become famous throu#hout the world for our adult and youth choirs, and is known as a place in which all are encoura#ed to sin#. This love of music and sin#in# infuses every aspect of communal life.

Our Syna#o#ue Choir has 16 dedicated members which expands to 28 for the Hih Holy Days. The choir brins music and son to all Shabbat mornin classical and festival services

Our Sin#in# for Pleasure choir consists of 30 members who reularly rehearse toether and deliht the residents of the many homes that they sin at throuh out the year..

The Alyth Choral Society ives three concerts a year, includin one with professional orchestra & soloists. Its vibrant music director, Robin Osterley, toether with its eneretic chorus master, Viv Bellos MBE, work wonderfully toether to create a varied and excitin proramme which encompasses an extensive repertoire. The choir had a wonderful bondin trip in Paris where they visited the Rue Copernic Synaoue, and established links between the synaoues. An away day workshop at Latimer Place with music director, chorus master and accompanist, Kelvin Thomson, helped to focus the choir on sinin techniques which helped the choir to create a marvellous performance of Handel's Esther in December.

The Centre for Jewish Music and the Arts , which is housed at Alyth, put on its annual Jewish Music Fair in April. There were 90 participants attendin 27 workshops on all aspects of Jewish Music iven by some of the country’s leadin Jewish musicians. It also put on outins to Enlish Tourin Opera performances of Handel’s Ottone, Donizetti’s Siee of Calais, the National Gallery Makin Colour Exhibition, the Knitwear Exhibition at the Fashion Museum

Alyth Youth Sin#ers has 22, 13 – 15 year olds who rehearse once a week and sin once a month in the Erev Shabbat service. They are also invited to sin at other events throuhout the year includin the Barnet Council Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration, the 70th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz in Westminster Abbey and this year’s trip took them to Dublin.

In addition to the wonderful spirit that their sinin brins to a monthly Erev Shabbat services, the Children’s Choir builds the childrens’ confidence, teaches teamwork, and provides a lot of fun whilst learnin Jewish music with friends.

2014 saw the resurence of Alyth Academy of Performin# Arts with 16, 13 – 15 year olds workin on a production of the Musical ‘13’ for performances over the May 2015 Bank Holiday weekend. Alyth Children’s Theatre , the junior version of Academy, put on a huely successful production of Oliver in June. Whilst PACT - Upbeat Theatre , the preparatory version of ACT, allowed 8, 3 - 7 year olds to take part in an introduction to the disciplines of puttin on shows this roup ive a short performance each term. Act with us We believe in a Judaism that is utterly en#a#ed with the world around us, both within the Jewish people and our wider community.

To be Jewish is to care about the world around us and to take responsibility for it. Alyth is home to the social awareness and activism that Judaism demands of us.

From our willin#ness to have diEcult conversations about Israel to our work to support our twin community in Kerch in the Crimea; from our volunteer-led monthly refu#ee drop-in and winter homeless shelter, to our work to enable those with mental illness to enjoy Jewish life; from our campai#nin# work for social justice to the extraordinary contributions of our members to life in the wider community – Alyth is a community en#a#ed in the world around us.

For the third year we participated in the To#ether in Barnet Ni#ht Shelter , in partnership with Golders Green Parish Church. We were also part of the team that planned and volunteered for the Christmas Shelter which ran for four days from Christmas Eve, workin with the team at FRS who hosted the Shelter. Over 30 volunteers from Alyth and Golders Green Parish Church came toether to provide a three course home-cooked meal, companionship and conversation, as well as safe, warm overniht accommodation for a roup of 16 homeless men and women each week

Over the course of the Toether in Barnet Shelter this year, 60 uests used the Shelter; by the end of the Shelter more than 20 uests had been found homes. When they are housed, each uest receives a Starter Pack of basic household oods (such as pots and pans, a toaster and a kettle), which are bein funded this year by the enerosity of Alyth throuh the Hih Holy Days Appeal.

Our Interfaith proramme continued to row with our series of conversations with members of St Edward the Confessor Catholic Church. One such discussion was on the controversial topic of Covenant. This was hosted by the Church and we were iven a very interestin tour of this historic place. An innovation of the year was to host an Iftar, the name iven to the breakin of fast each niht durin Ramadan. We welcomed 30 members of the Muslim community as the first Synaoue to do this and arnered coverae on press, radio and TV. For our contribution to Interfaith Week we oranised on behalf of Barnet Multifaith Forum and Barnet Womens Interfaith Network an evenin at the Town hall with Dr Harriet Crabtree, the Director of the Interfaith Network of the UK and other members of the IFN Executive, includin Rabbi Maurice.

50 infirm, housebound or unwell members of Alyth were visited by one of a team of more than 20 volunteers who deliver care packa#es at Sukkot and Purim.

6 Bayit Cham lunches were held for an averae 25 people after the Shabbat mornin service, cooked and hosted by a team of volunteers.

The Kerch Committee held a fundraiser and screenin of the film "The Return". Unfortunately due to the current conflict, no oranised oAcial trips have been able to take place but around £20,000 has been sent to our twinned community in Kerch.

Our Monday Club , oranised by Dennis Sher, had 38 sessions, providin social activities for people with learnin diAculties.

6 Shalom Suppers , oranised by Zvia Klier were held in 2014. Reularly feedin 70 people from JAMI and the Shalom Centre who join us for Shabbat services and for a Shabbat evenin meal cooked by a team of volunteers. With thanks to Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust for their support .

The Monthly Drop in for Recent Refu#ees , oranised by Debbie Rose and Cheryl Brodie, continued to help approximately 40 clients each month. A lare roup of volunteers from the Alyth community provide a place to meet, to ain help with British bureaucracy, to knit, and to eat and enjoy. The 2014 Hi#h Holy Days Appeal raised over £55,000. Thank you to everyone who donated. The selected charities will be comin to Alyth to tell us more about their work over the comin months. The charities we are supportin this year include the Clery Charitable Fund, Welfare Fund, Alyth Weekend Away Fund, Kerch Jewish Community, Leo Baeck Education Centre, Haifa, Parents Circle-Families Forum, Meketa, The Bike Project, Toether in Barnet Niht Shelter, Openin Doors with Ae Concern. Please o to our website to find out more about these charities.

Alyth is always enaed with Israel but never scared of dealin with Israel’s complexities. In 2014 the Synaoue proramme included a number of encounters which opened up Israeli society throuh the eyes of trusted interpreters. Throuh sermons in our services, open fora, panel discussions and talks at the Synaoue and in members’ homes we heard from Rabbi Gilad Kariv (Executive Director of the Israel Movement for Proressive Judaism), Anat Ho9man (Director of the Israel Reliious Action Center and leader of Women of the Wall), Rabbi Ofek Meir (Deputy Director of our twin community, the Leo Baeck Center in Haifa) and Lian Najami, an inspirin Israeli Arab student leader. We heard about the strains in Israeli society and work to rectify them from Mercavim, an oranisation which works to build Israeli civil society. They brouht an Ethiopian Israeli leader, a Charedi leader and a leader of Israeli Arabs to the Synaoue to debate and help us to understand their views of Israel’s potential. From our own community Dr Keith Kahn Harris helped us to consider how we speak to each other about Israel, with a talk based on his 2014 book, “Uncivil War”. David Janner-Klausner helped consider the end of a eneration of heroes in Israeli politics followin the death of Ariel Sharon.

Two annual events kept us connected to Israel. We commemorated Yom HaZikaron and celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut. Alonside the dance and party oranised by the hardworkin Alyth Israel Committee chaired by John Cohen, we also showed powerful films made by the students of the Tel Aviv University Film School and held discussions and an Israel party for our younest members. Teenae Madrichim from the Leo Baeck Center joined Alyth’s youth leaders throuh the late summer for Summer Madness and Summer Days camps brinin Israel to our Youth Department.

The summer was overshadowed by the Israel – Gaza conflict. Alyth was a safe space to talk about our concerns and learn about the conflict. We held a panel discussion with the leaders BICOM, Yachad and the Movement for Reform Judaism and also open fora before our Shabbat evenin services so that members could share their concerns with our Clery.

Intellient, deep and thouhtful enaement with Israel remained the hallmark of Alyth’s Israel work.

Live with us Alyth is built on a foundation of mutual care in which we share one another’s joys and sorrows and accompany one another throu#h our life journeys.

One of the #reatest joys of Jewish life is to live as part of a carin# community – one that supports us when we are fallin#, and shares our joys in happy times.

Alyth is a place of care: led by a dedicated Director of Welfare and Life Cycle, ours is a community in which we care for one another throu#h illness, bereavement, and the many challen#es of life – providin# practical and emotional support – meals, transport, company, and a listenin# ear for those who need. To care is built into the fabric of everythin# we do.

The Shul Shuttle made approximately 25 journeys a week to brin members to services and events.

A roup of 16 men and women make up our Chevra Kadisha - attendin and performin tahara (body washin) for the dead prior to burial or cremation.

Six members makin up the Bereavement Call Group made reular calls to all those who have been bereaved.

Our new monthly Shabbat B’Yachad provided an averae of 30 people the opportunity to share the spirit of Shabbat toether followin the Erev Shabbat Service.

A five part Marria#e Course for about to be, or newly married couples, with sessions on: The Jewish Home, Puttin toether a Jewish Weddin Ceremony, Resolvin Conflict in your Marriae.

Our new News Views Co,ee & Schmooze provided 15 people with a fortnihtly space to chat about the news.

Two Youn# at Heart Days were attended by approximately 25 people who enjoy a day of activities includin sinin, mellow yoa, films and more. Community Statistics Executive Council Members for: President: Brenda Freedman The Buildin and Health Vice-Presidents: Edward Cohen and Safety: Michael Overlander Gillian Epstein (until May 2014) Youth and Education: Caronne Graham Colette Levy (from May 2014) Human Resources: Lanny Silverstone Steve Miller Music: Russell Raphael (until May 2014) Chairman: Harriet Radley (until May 2014) David Leih (from May 2014) Mark Harris (from May 2014) Membership: Jackie Miller (until May 2014) Vice-Chairman: Mark Harris (until May 2014) David Brown from May 2014) Noeleen Cohen (from May 2014) Kinderarten: Nicola Feuchtwan Hon Secretary: Noeleen Cohen (until May 2014) Welfare: Mark Harris (until May 2014) Lanny Silverstone (from May 2014) Julia Simmonds (from May 2014) Hon Treasurer: David Leih (until May 2014) Youth Representatives: Jemma Mendoza and Harry Stern Russell Baum (from May 2014) (to May 2014) Senior Wardens: Selina Gellert (until May 2014) Michael Simon (from May 2014) Sta, Clery Team: Rabbi Mark Goldsmith Fundraisin & Development Sarah Lansford Rabbi Josh Levy Co-ordinator: Cantor Cheryl Wunch Administration & Support: Farah Josephs Rabbi Maurice Michaels Team Lisa Kaan Lesley Lass Community Director: Adam Martin Rupert Villiers Welfare and Life Cycle Director: Lynette Sunderland (to March 2014) Director of Music: Viv Bellos Bonnie Lemer Kinderarten Headmistress: Cindy Summer (from April 2014) Head of Youth Enaement: Josh Moritz Facilities Team: Alan Lee (to December 2014) Bob Morley Head of Education: David Yehuda Stern Robert Kimemia Head of Youth: Sam Brunner (to July 2014) (from February 2014) Ben Anazodo Hebrew Co-ordinator: Inbal Zafir (to July 2014) (from July 2014) Representatives to the Board of Representatives to the Movement Jewish Joint Burial Society Deputies of British Jews for Reform Judaism Jeremy Baum, Jackie Naftalin, Laurence Robert Weiner, Paul Winter, Noeleen Colin Joseph (Sexton), Brenda Freedman Radley, Noam Tamir, Marketa Zvelebil Cohen (to March 2014) (Governor), Steve Miller (Alternate), Clare Lubin (Treasurer) Executive Attendance – January to December 2014

Name Number of Attendances Possible Attendances Dr Selina Gellert * 1 3 4 Mrs Harriet Radley * 3 4 Mr Russell Raphael * 3 4 Mrs Julia Simmonds ** 5 7 Mr Michael Simon ** 1 6 7 Mr Russell Baum 6 7 Mr David Brown 7 11 Mrs Noeleen Cohen 7 11 Dr Nicola Feuchtwan 8 11 Mrs Caronne Graham 9 11 Mr Mark Harris 11 11 Mr David Leih 9 11 Mr Michael Overlander 8 11 Mr Lanny Silverstone 10 11

Council Attendance – January to December 2014

Name Number of Attendances Possible Attendances Mrs Gillian Epstein * 2 2 5 Dr Selina Gellert * 4 5 Mrs Sara Glaser * 0 5 Mr Russell Raphael * 2 5 Mr Robert Weiner * 5 5 Mrs Ruth Wellin * 4 5 Mrs Jo Chadwick ** 3 6 Mrs Colette Levy ** 2 2 6 Mrs Clare Lubin ** 6 6 Mr Russell Baum 10 11 Mr Howard Bood 7 11 Mr David Brown 7 11 Mr Edward Cohen 8 11 Mrs Noeleen Cohen 10 11 Dr Nicola Feuchtwan 10 11 Mrs Brenda Freedman 6 11 Mrs Caronne Graham 11 11 Mr Mark Harris 11 11 Mrs Sue Haskel 6 11 Mr Paul Jonas 10 11 Mr David Leih 11 11 Mr Arieh Miller 9 11 Mrs Jackie Miller 5 11 Mr Steve Miller 2 3 11 Mr Nicky Minter 3 11 Mrs Fran Moscow 9 11 Mr Michael Overlander 8 11 Mrs Harriet Radley 4 9 11 Mr Dan Rosenfield 8 11 Mr Lanny Silverstone 11 11 Mrs Julia Simmonds 8 11 Mr Michael Simon ** 1 6 11 Mrs Ruth Smil 7 11

1 Senior Warden 2 Vice President 3 President 4 Immediate Past Chairman * To May 2014 ** From May 2014

We would like to thank everyone who has volunteered in 2014

2012 2013 2014

a - HGS, Golders Green, Temple Fortune b - Finchley c - HGS & East Finchley d - Hampstead & Swiss Cottae e - Hihate f - North Finchley & Totteride  - Mill Hill h - Cricklewwod & Childs Hill i - Muswell Hill j - Watford, Borehamwood & Radlett k - Harrow Stanmore & Edware l - Hendon m - Crouch End n - West Hampstead o - St Johns Wood p - Barnet, Southate & Enfield q - Islinton & Camden Town r - Frien Barnet s - Abroad t - Other